Unit control for radio receiving sets



Oct. 27, 1925.

M L. LUJAN UNIT CONTROL FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS' Filed Oct. 8. 1924 Patented Oct. 27, 1 925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

manner, L. LUJAN, or LOS ANGELES, camscanm UNIT CONTROL FOR RADIO RECEIVING SETS.

Application flledflctober s, 1924. Serial- No. 742,418.

To all whom it concern:

' Be it known that I, MANUEL L. LUJAN, a citizen of the United States of Mexico, re-

. siding at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Unit Controls for Radio Receiving Sets,

of which the following is a specification.

Thisv invention relates to controlling means for radio receiving sets and more particularly to a means for mechanically controlling the adjustment of a plurality of dial members, in order to effect the simultaneous adjustment of all of said members in the operation of one, so that all of the cirsuits of a radio receiving set may be properly maintained in a resonant condition for the cfiicient reception of any desired signal through the adjustment of a single dial.

An object of the invention resides in providing a plurality of similarly constructed shaft operating devices adapted for mounta ing on the dial shaft, adapted in rotation to efiect an adjustment of the wave length capacity of the radio receiving circuit, which are provided with a plurality of grooves for receiving suitable belt or chain,

members interconnecting the several devices, so that the manual rotation of one of said devices will effect a corresponding rotation of all of the others, in order that the dial shaft will be operated, in a manner that the resonance of all circuits of said radio receiving set will be maintained throughout the adjustment of the parts for receiving signals of different wave lengths, in an efficient manner. 7

Another object of the i vention resides in providing a device of the character above mentioned, wherein a cylindrical element is provided with a plurality of peripheral grooves and an operating knob, whereby the same may be manually dperated, either in combination with a suitable dialorfor attachment to dials now in use on radio sets, for efiecting the operation of the adjustable arts of the set in a simultaneous and uniorm manner through the several 0 lindrical elements having interconnecting elts or chains, so that the rotation of one of said members will effect a corresponding rotation of all of the others and the adjustment of the wave length capacity of the receiving set, to efiiciently receive a signal of the desired wave length.

The invention further comprehends the provision of a special adjusting member which. may be connected with any one of the several dial shafts or dials, so that it may be used for effecting a Vernier adjustment of the respective shafts and the apparatus connected therewith as well as to produce a major and micrometric control when the several dial constructions are connected for unit control.

The invention also includes other objects and mprovements in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, for carrylng out the invention, which are more particularly pointed. out in the following description and claims, directed to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it bemg understood that various ways other than those illustrated in the accompanying drawlng, may be used for carrying out the invention in a similar manner, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed.

' In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plurality of controlling elements for a radio receiving set, constructed according to the present invention, showing the manner of interconnecting them for-unit operation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the control members.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the control membersmounted on a shaft, and in the rear of the instrument panel of the receiving set so that the connection for effecting unit operation may be concealedbehind the panel and operated from a single dial mounted on the projecting end of the shaft in front of the panel.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevational view of a member adapted for attachment to the usual type of dial now in use on radio sets, so that the unit control may be adapted thereto.

A plurality of adjustin members are indicated at 1, which are 0 similar size and construction and are adapted to be removably mounted on the rotatable shaft of adjustable radio instruments, preferably in front of the instrument panel, in order that the adjustment of the instrument may be effected through the operation of said members. Each member, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive includes a dial portion 2 from which extends a cylindrical portion 3, having a plurality of annular grooves 1 formed therein in spaced relation, and on the outer end of which cylin drical portion is formed a knob 5, by which the membermay be manually operated, in the adjustment of the radio instrument to which it is attached, while the graduations on the dial portion 2 are adapted to indicate in conjunction with a graduation on the instrument panel in the usual manner, adesired adjustment of the instrument affected thereby. A set screw 6, mounted in the cylindrical portion 3, adjacent the dial 2 is adapted to extend into the socket 7 and engage and lock the adjusting member on the shaft-of a desired radio, instrument. A main control member, indicated at 6 is of identical construction with the adjusting members 1, as above described,

' and is also mounted on the front of the instrument panel in a convenient position with respect to the adjusting members 1, such as illustrated in Figure 1, said main control member having the dial portion and the cylindrical portion extending there'- from of substantially smaller diameter for nection may be made between any one of the adjusting members 1 and the main control member 8, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1. so that the control member 8 maybe utilized for effecting the vernier adjustment of the adjusting member .1, with which-"it is connected through a flexible belt connection.

In the use of the unit control as above described, the main control member 8 is first connected with the respective adjusting members 1, through belt connections, in order that a' vernier adjustment of each i of the instruments may be separately made for tuning the entire receiving circuit controlled by the adjustable instruments into resonance, for the efiicient reception of a signal of a predetermined wave length, after which the belt connections are made ,betweenthe several adjusting members 1,

as shown in full lines, in Figure 1, and also with the main control member, so that following the setting of the several instruments in predeterminedrelation, the opera- 1 are mounted on the shaft of the instrument in the same manner as above described, and illustrated in Figure 1, while the main control member 8 is provided with a cylindrical bore extending entirely through the cylindrical portion thereof as indicated at 10, in Figure 3, so that a shaft 11 may be rotatably mounted in the instrument panel 12, on which themain control member 8 is mounted in the rear of the panel, while the end of the shaft in front of the panel receives any desired formof control member, as indicated at 13, having a graduated dial 14: thereon, for cooperation with scale markings onthe face of the panel, so that only a single controlling element is exposed on the face of the panel. The connections for the simultaneous operation of the controlling members 1 is the same as illustrated in Figure 1, but it will be readily appreciated that the flexible connections 9. as well as the several adjusting members will be concealed within the cabinet to which the panel 12 is secured.

Where it is desired to adapt the above described construction to radio sets new in use, without replacing the adjusting dials thereon, the construction shown in Figure 4 has been provided. wherein a cylindrical member 15 is provided with a plurality of annular grooves 16 arranged in spaced relation thereon for receivingthe flexible belt, one end of the memberbeing provided with extensions 17 formed with openings for receiving securing bolts and nuts indicated generally at 18, which may be inserted through suitable openings made in the adjusting dial, on radio sets now in use, so that the cylindrical member 15 may be properly secured to. a dial, for adapting the present invention and the unit control to sets at present in use. One of these cylindrical members 15 is attached to each adjusting dial of a set, and the flexible connections made in the same manner as above described,'the main controlling member being used in connection with the cylindrical member 15 so as to provide a unit control for the adjustment of the whole set in the same manner as above described. It will thus be seen that a control device has been provided for radio receiving sets adapted for effecting the vernier adjustment of any instrument in the set and for subsequently effecting a unit control of all of the adjustable instruments of the set, so that the instrmnents of a radio set may be simultaneously and efliciently tuned to resonance to signals of different wave lengths, through the operation of a single controlling -ele ment, providing for unit control of the Whole set.

What is claimed is:

An operating device for unit control mechanism of radio receiving sets, wherein a plurality of instruments are provided with rotatable shafts arranged in spaced parallel relation and operable for effecting the adjustment of the receiving capacity of said radio set; comprising an annular disk formed with a central cylindrical projection extending axially therefrom, the end of said projection being formed with an anni'lnr flange to provide an operating knob, said cylindrical projection having a plurality of annular grooves formed therein, said disk and cylindrical projection having a socket extending axially therein from one end p01 tion, for receiving the rotatable shaft of one of said instruments, and means mounted in the cylindrical projection forenga the shaft in said socket and locking the evice on said shaft, whereby belts mounted in the grooves on the devices applied to a plurality of instruments serve to transmit the motion of one device to the other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MANUEL L. LUJAN. 

